Friday, June 28, 2013

OUR WORDS EXPOSE OUR HEART! - Psalm 34:11-14

A PRAISING TONGUE IS THE WORK OF GOD! 

Psalm 34:11-14

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.


Having invited the readers to praise God, David now invites those who love and fear God to behave in a way that would please Him. The Psalmist, after having told us to use our tongues to praise God, reminds us not to use it in an evil way.

Remember what James says about using our tongue?

James 3:9-12
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. 

James is clearly stating that it is wrong and unnatural for a believer, transformed by the Holy Spirit, to use his mouth both to bless God and to speak against Him. In essence, every time we complain or curse others, we are rebelling against the sovereignty of God. As God said through James, “these things ought not to be so!”

We tend to forget that the Bible states clearly that our words expose what is in our heart.

Luke 6:45
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 

 Our words should be always edifying.

Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 

Our words will please God as long as wrong attitudes are put aside. Our hearts should be driven by grace. Those who have received grace should be givers of grace.

I love these words by Peter:

1 Peter 1:22
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 

Real love is the result of God’s transforming work in our heart. God’s word must produce obedience, and submissive obedience will produce love that, in turn, will produce godly attitudes and a loving heart that will promote godly speech.

David goes on to tell the readers that they must pursue: that is, to earnestly desire and work at turning away from what is ungodly to that which pleases God.

Sometimes we tend to dismiss the words that come out of our mouths. We justify them as a response to the poor behavior of others; we allow them, describing them as “just venting”. We minimize the severity of our sin.

Dear friends, as I stop to meditate on this Psalm, I cannot help but review my spoken words. Words are heard by others and invite them to worship God, or to neglect the sovereignty of God.

I must stop and review my days, repent, and ask God to help me to change. I must prepare for my day in prayer. Since you live in the world, you will have many opportunities to expose what is in your heart. We better not be careless!

A little reminder… it starts at home! God desires to work on our hearts. A praising tongue is the work of God!  The Lord is good, and He deserves our praise!


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Psalm 34:1-11 DOES YOUR LIFE INVITE OTHERS TO WORSHIP?

WE NEED TO LEARN TO LET GOD DEFINE WHAT IS GOOD FOR US




1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
  
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them. 

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
  
We should read these verses at the start of every day, to remind us of what our attitude toward the Lord should be. Our lives should be filled with praise. David not only is expressing his praise to the Lord, but is inviting others to join him. The humble will listen to this invitation and join him in praise and worship.

The humble are those who recognize the hand of God and realize that know that in their own power they cannot do anything. They know they are completely dependent on God, and are satisfied in His care.

We should ask ourselves if our lives are continually expressing our praise to God and if we are truly inviting others to join us in this praise.

One of the greatest examples of praise that invited others to know and worship God is found in Acts, when Paul was in prison.

Acts 16:25-32
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

What a testimony! In the worst of times, Paul and Silas were faithful to God. Even when imprisoned by the hands of the ungodly, they knew that it was under the direction of the careful sovereignty of God.

As we read in the psalm, David had gone through a hard time, and when he prayed, God had answered him. He knew that the Lord was watching and protecting His own. There is such peace for those who live with an awareness of God’s presence and love. Reality is that God is always at work, but we can lose sight of this truth. How grateful we are, for this reminder of God’s goodness.

Read verses 8 through 10 carefully … there is great blessing for those who take refuge in God. Placing yourself in God’s hands does not mean that God will do all things according to your will, but that you are confident that all that He will do, will be good!

We need to learn to let God define what is good for us. Often we let the world or our desires define what is good, and then we become discontent. Our unhappiness turns into ungratefulness and that turns into complaint; that path leads us to sin.

I just came home from a hard day at work. All I will say is that it would have been very easy for me to go down that wrong path, but by God’s grace, these months in the Psalms have been teaching me so much.

The worship in this psalm is the response of a man in whom God was working, through His Word. David had learned about God’s character, he had learned to trust in it, and this trust had produced godly results.

Dear friends, why is it so important to begin our day with God’s Word? Not because we will receive some special blessing by God, but because it informs our minds, it transforms our hearts, it prepares us for the difficulties of life, and it produces worship.


Invite someone to join you today in grateful praise and worship. Lead them to the Scriptures. David knew that his invitation to others needed to be by example, as well as by audible praise. May our lives invite others to worship the Lord God, because He is good!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Psalm 33:9-22 LET YOUR HEART BE GLAD, AS YOU FOCUS ON GOD!




9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.

The Psalmist has reminded us that it is appropriate and right for man to praise God and to worship Him as the creator and sustainer of all. As he goes on, the writer reminds us that the Lord is also in sovereign control of all.

God’s sovereignty is not frustrated by nature, it’s not thwarted by man who sins, it’s not impaired by nations or politics, and it’s not diverted by the will of man. God is in total, absolute, careful, and purposeful control of all things! This control is not strenuous or tiring for God; He is utterly capable to do it; He does not need help. He does not need extra strength or wisdom or love to perfectly accomplish His intentions. His judgment is eternally perfect, for His sovereignty is powerful to oversee every human being at the same time.

As we read and reflect on these verses, we have to be in awe of the fact that our perfect, holy God would reveal Himself to us and love us in such a meticulous way. Nothing can happen to us unless God permits and ordains it, and it’s always exactly what is best for us. This truth should drive us to penitent, submissive worship. Those who understand and believe these truths are blessed. Israel was blessed by being God’s chosen people, and we are blessed by being His chosen children.

Are you taking the time to rehearse your life, like I am? God was in total control through every day of sunshine, rain or storm that I have ever gone through, and has loved me more than I could ever comprehend. God is totally aware of every detail of my life right now, for nothing escapes Him or surprises Him: it all fits into His perfect plan.

God knows every heart, every thought, every plan; in fact, He knows exactly why we do everything we do. Are we trusting Him and resting in these truths?

16 The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Even the most powerful men, who think they are choosing their destiny and controlling their lives, cannot do anything unless God allows them to do it. I know that I am not a king, but many times I tend to live as if I am ruling my life. The writer reminds us that this is certainly not so. We tend to put our hope in our abilities and strength, or in the power of others, and we forget that we are all totally dependent on what God does. Knowing, and especially remembering, these truths, is so freeing. We need not worry, we must not fret, but trust! Turbulent times, raging enemies, pain from our sin or the sin of others is not the result of a society gone wild, but is entirely under His control.

Let’s not forget that there is a purpose in all that God allows in our life.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.

Our responsibility is to fear God, trust Him, and rest in the Lord’s steadfast love. His love is perfect at all times, it has our best interest in mind at all times, it’s never earned by our behavior or response, it is eternally perfect!

Dear friends, God’s purposes are not always visible or clear to us, but we must wait upon the Lord. When we are anxious, we are exposing our lack of hope, when we are bitter, we expose our lack of belief, when we complain, we expose our lack of trust, when we rebel, and we expose our lack of submission. So what is God expecting our response to be?

21 For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

The writer was so right when he said that we are blessed! Do you remember our state before God came into our life?

Ephesians 2:12
            …remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.


Dear friends, we have a blessed hope! So we must worship God with lives that expose the trust and gladness of heart we have, because we know God! 

Friday, June 21, 2013

PRAISING GOD IS THE OUTFLOW OF A BELIEVING HEART

The wise recognize the hand of God and act appropriately… 




1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

The invitation is clear! The righteous should be shouting for joy in praise to the Lord. The writer reminds us that it is appropriate, indeed, for those who have a relationship with the Lord to praise Him. Sometimes it’s more impactful to think about it in the negative: that it is inappropriate not to praise God.

Think about your expressed attitudes in the last few days. Would those who have watched you say that your life has been an example of praise? The praise the psalmist is portraying here is elaborate, and the righteous are well- prepared, skillfully playing accompaniment with musical instruments to their words of worship!

There is a clear image of excitement. And when we stop and reflect, we quickly realize there are certainly many reasons for us to do the same.

The psalmist goes on to remind us of some of these reasons for our praise:

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses. 

The word of the Lord can be trusted, and all He does is done in faithfulness to His character and His promises. God loves all that is righteous and just, and all that He does is true to what He loves. All God does is motivated by His love. God is active in showing His love to all mankind, even though they might be oblivious to it. God’s creation is a display of God’s care for mankind, as He sustains and controls everything in it.

The more we reflect on these truths, the more evident it becomes that is right for man to worship and praise God.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm. 

The writer commands the earth to fear God; man should first of all look at nature, recognize the hand of God and be amazed at the display of power and perfection in His creation. God’s control is effortless: simply by His spoken word, He creates, controls, and sustains all.

As I think about this, not only should our praise be loud and clear, but it should also be without shame or fear. We certainly should fear God, but never man. Even though we live in a world where evolution has become the religion of the majority, we believers should be courageous in our praise for the Creator of all.

Romans 1:18-20
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

The wise recognize the hand of God and act appropriately… They praise Him each day with loud praise. Every man who does not recognize the hand of God in creation and does not worship Him accordingly will receive the wrath of God in the judgment day.


May today and all our days be filled with praise!


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

WE ARE BLESSED BY GOD’S GRACE!


Confession allows us to return in fellowship to God!



Psalm 32:6-11
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! 

David began this psalm praising God for the mercy He shows to those who repent of their sins. He knew very well the freedom of assurance of forgiveness, as well as the burden of remaining in a state of unconfessed sin.

After being autobiographical in the preceding verses, David now invites all those who know and love God to be swift to confess sin. David’s example through the inspired Word of God should be a challenge to all of us. I trust that, as we read these verses, we are reminded of the unnecessary weight we carry when we do not confess our sin and turn to God for mercy.

Confession allows us to return in fellowship to God and it brings freedom and peace that only those who are God’s children can know. We should fear for our salvation, if we do not feel the weight of sin and have never experienced the freedom of forgiveness. I am not implying that one can lose his salvation, but that one who has never repented of their sins has never become a child of God.

David speaks of the instruction God gives His children. As we continue to progress in our spiritual walk, the Word of God will continue to expose sin. The life of sanctification of the believer has regular times of confession of sin.
John reminds us of this in his epistle:

1 John 1:6-10
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

In these verses a few truths become clear: believers sin, and when they do, they are not in fellowship with God. We should never believe the lie that God is OK with our sin. Our sin also affects our fellowship with other believers. The solution is so easy! We must recognize and confess sin. There are no sins that God cannot forgive and cannot cleanse us from.

When we allow sin to remain in our lives, we forget the privilege of resting in sweet fellowship, and we trade our relationship with God for some temporary pleasure that will only bring sorrow and bitter consequences.

The imagery of this psalm is so vivid: do not become like an animal that has no wisdom and has to be controlled by his master!

There are blessings for those who confess their sin, and sorrows for the wicked. Wise men turn to God for cleansing! What a privilege we have, to know and enjoy the unconditional and faithful love of God.

The last verse of this psalm is truly glorious! David invites the righteous to be glad and rejoice in the Lord. The amazing gift of grace is that a person who commits transgressions, sins, and iniquities can be declared righteous! Even though we rebel and sin, we can be washed by the blood of Christ and we can be restored to fellowship.

We should, we must, live differently because we know God. We are blessed! We do not have to carry the weight of sin! We can hide in the loving care of our merciful God!

Dear friend, those who know this love, this freedom, this joy, this peace should never be slow to confess sin and should be a light to those around them.

Ephesians 2:4-7
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 


God, through the ages, has displayed His infinite grace and love by saving sinners like us! We are blessed!

Monday, June 17, 2013

THE WEIGHT OF SIN

We have a loving Father, Who will not allow us to stray far from Him.


Psalm 32:3-5
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 

David’s joy and peace in finding forgiveness was preceded by extreme difficulty. For a time he concealed his sin and kept silent, hoping it would go unnoticed by God. But the Lord did not allow David to live in a state of un-confessed sin. The solution for relieving his misery was available, but as long as David was not willing to confess his sin to the Lord, its weight remained upon him.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that it is the loving work of God, to cause us to experience His discipline.

Hebrews 12:3-11
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The writer warns us that we must resist sin; calling this a ‘struggle’ reminds us that it is hard work to battle our flesh. Many passages in the Scriptures remind us that it is also an ongoing battle. We cannot let our guard down.

We have a loving Father, Who will not allow us to stray far from Him. He will discipline us. God’s goal is always restoration and forgiveness. We cannot forget that His discipline is always prompted by His perfect love..

I can remember the times of great weight in my life as I struggled with sin, for God revealed it and produced in me deep unrest. I certainly did not enjoy those times of discipline, while I was allured by sin and was justifying it in my life. Today, I am grateful for what that His loving discipline taught me.

As the passage reminds us, discipline assures us that we are His children, for only God’s true children experience His discipline. It also teaches us that sin is not overlooked or minimized by our holy God. We are also reminded that true repentance requires a change in behavior, and when our sin is confessed, we see again the reality of God’s grace.

We begin our walk with God by grace, and we continue in our sanctification by grace, alone. We will never be able to deserve or invite God’s love. He chose to love us, knowing well that we would sin and that He would have to discipline us and that we would have to repent and He would then again freely show mercy toward us, in grace.

David learned his lesson and through him, God gave us this Psalm so that, if we are tempted to hang on to our sins and keep from confessing them, we would be warned of the heavy weight we would be inviting upon us. God’s desire is that we would fight against sin and that when we fail, we would be quick to repent and enjoy His mercy.

May we purpose to live this way, and invite others to know the immense mercy of God. I marvel and rejoice in a perfect, loving Father Who has loved me from eternity past, though knowing exactly everything I would ever do. His Son died for me so that I could enjoy the freedom of God’s forgiveness. His children are truly blessed!


Friday, June 14, 2013

FORGIVEN, FOR REAL!

Will God really forgive me? Are my sins too great?




Psalm 32:1-2

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Growing up, one of my favorite Old Testament men was David, probably because we had the same name. His story is amazing: from shepherd to warrior, from youngest boy in his family to king, able to kill ferocious animals to protect his sheep, willing to face a giant to protect the reputation of his Lord, a man whom God recognized as having a heart dedicated to Him. Anyone would want to emulate him! Yet, he is also the man remembered for committing adultery and killing the man whose wife he had sinfully gotten pregnant.

As I have read his story over the years, I have often reflected that David’s godly qualities have been overshadowed by his sin and the sorrow it brought to him and his family. And yet, his life also teaches other important truths.

David learned the privilege of being forgiven by God. He knew very well the reality of not being able to fix the consequences of his sin, but to rest instead in the grace of God.

We know that it was not God’s intention to shame David forever, but to glorify Himself through David’s life.

All the amazing things that David did as a child and as a king were done with the power of God. The main character in those narratives was never David, but always the all-powerful God Whom he worshiped.

In this psalm, too, the main character is again the Lord Himself. Only the God of the Bible shows mercy and grace to a notorious sinner. David uses three terms to describe his offences to God. ‘Transgression’ describes his rebellion, ‘sin’ describes his failure, his inability to hit the target, and his ‘iniquity’ is his perversion.

David does not leave anything out. All that is contrary to God can be forgiven and those who experience forgiveness are truly blessed. When his sins are covered by God, a man can return to fellowship with the God he has offended. A forgiven man is no longer under judgment.
Knowing that David was able to write about his forgiveness and recognize that he was blessed is also an amazing blessing for us. God chose to use a man who had committed grave sins to tell of His mercy and to proclaim God-inspired psalms.

You probably have seen the words that Thomas Watson penned: “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.” How true!

Paul wrote these words to Timothy:

1Timothy 1:15-16
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 

Paul, too, recognized the depth and gravity of his sin, but also the perfect patience and grace of Christ. In the next few devotionals, we will see the need for repentance, in order to receive this amazing forgiveness. But for now, I hope that we can embrace some important truths:

God is merciful and patient, and wants to display His grace in forgiving the penitent sinners. Forgiveness is an undeserved gift of God. Man cannot offer anything in exchange. Our forgiveness is by His grace alone.

Have you stopped to think about what blessed people do? They are certainly joyful and grateful! They certainly will love God and others! They will certainly show mercy and forgiveness to others!

Luke 7:47
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 

The sinful woman loved much because she recognized the greatness of her sin.

If you have been forgiven, then your life should show it. Your forgiveness is dependent only on your willingness to confess your sin and truly desire to change your ways, with God’s help.

David was not blessed because he had forgotten his sin or minimized it. He was not blessed because he had forgiven himself. He was blessed because his multiple offences to God, although very serious, had been covered by God.

My prayer is that we would know the seriousness of sin and the forbearance of God, Who covers it patiently with mercy and does not hold it against those who believe in Him!



Wednesday, June 12, 2013

GOD LOVES US AND LISTENS TO OUR CRY!

Are you struggling through difficulties? Are there some that have been going on for a long time? Dear friend, do not lose sight of two truths. God loves you and He listens to you.

Read Psalm 31



Psalm 31:20-24
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints!
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord! 

David is certainly an example for us. In this psalm, we have walked along his difficult journey, been encouraged by his resolve to trust his God, been challenged by the review of the character of his Lord and been encouraged by the wonderful faithfulness of his Lord.

David’s God is our God! His Lord is our Lord! We must never fret. There is hope.

The writer reminds us in the last verses of this psalm, of both the reality of his difficulties and the certainty of God’s care in the midst of them.

David has seen the steadfast, personal love of God and knows that his cries have been heard.

Are you struggling through difficulties? Are there some that have been going on for a long time? Dear friend, do not lose sight of two truths. First, God’s love has never been a conditional love. God loves at all times; He always loves perfectly! God’s love is steadfast, and He always has our best in mind. His love can be neither thwarted nor diminished! Secondly, He always listens to our cries! God is never distracted or overwhelmed by our cries for help. He is always attentive and is always powerful to provide for our needs.

Do not lose heart, for God is specifically providential. Your difficulties will not last a minute beyond the duration that God has intended, they will never be more difficult then what He will give you grace to endure, and they have always your good as their goal.

 As David reflected upon these truths, he could only end by encouraging us to praise our God, to love Him as we should, to be faithful to Him in our walk and reactions, and to be patient as we wait upon Him.

Be strong and of good courage, as you trust Him in all of your ways. God commanded Joshua to do this:

Joshua 1:7-9
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

We should keep in our minds the same commands that were given to Joshua: to be courageous to stand for truth and to do what is right according to the Word of God, without allowing enemies or situations to frighten us.

Dear friends, our faithfulness and service is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 

As we deal with the our difficulties and encourage others in theirs, we must never forget that we are loved and protected by our God, Who loved us enough to send His precious Son to die for us so that we could have eternal life. We are truly blessed!



Monday, June 10, 2013

Psalm 31:14-19 AS TRIALS COME, GUARD YOUR THOUGHTS!


14 But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, let me not be put to shame,
for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go silently to Sheol.

18 Let the lying lips be mute,
which speak insolently against the righteous
in pride and contempt.
19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind! 


As David continues this description of his journey of trust in the midst of difficulties, we see the thoughts that enflamed his trust in his Lord.

David had resolved to trust in his Lord. David had a personal relationship with his God. David knew that God was in sovereign control of every day of his life. He knew that he was perfectly loved by the Lord. He knew that His Lord was abundantly good. He knew that it was wise to take refuge in the Lord.

What an amazing list! As we stop and think about our God, these are the thoughts that should enter our minds when we are going through difficult circumstances and we are feeling the weight of the world’s evil.  

We should always concentrate on the character of God and His relationship with us, when our minds want to prevent us from an eternal perspective.

God is our God!

John 17:9-17
I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 

John 17:20-21
 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

Jesus prayed for our protection, and God always answers the prayers of His beloved Son. Our protection comes through the Word of God. We must allow it to saturate our mind.

God is sovereign over our lives

Romans 8:28-30
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

This scripture assures us that God is in total control of our lives. His calling is sure and our end is secure. We will be glorified!

God loves us perfectly

John 10:7-11
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

 We should never lose sight of the fact that our God has given His life for us so that we could have abundant life. We are loved by the Good Shepherd!

The Lord is good to us

Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations. 

God has always been good and He will never cease to be good. There is no evil in God; He always has our good in mind!

Our God is worthy to be trusted

John 14:1-3
 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 

God is preparing a place for us, He has our eternal destiny in His hands!


Dear friends, as David endured the difficulties of his life, his thoughts were on what he knew to be true about God. And there, he put his trust and rest. May we do the same, as we deal with real problems and real enemies every day!